American does the seemingly impossible and outsprints Dutch champion on the Mur de Huy
Evie Stevens (Specialized-lululemon) has done what nobody though possible and beaten Marianne Vos (Rabobank) on the Mur de Huy in la Flèche Wallonne, to deny the Dutch champion a fifth victory. The two leaders fought it out up the final, impossibly steep slopes of the climb, which has been Vos’ territory so many times before, but the American managed to outsprint her rival in the final 30 metres.
Stevens and Vos were the best of a five-rider break that had formed in the final 15km of the 123km race; they had bridged across the original group of Lucinda Brand (AA Drink-Leontien.nl), Linda Villumsen (GreenEdge-AIS) and Clara Hughes (Specialized-lululemon), leading to a straight fight up the final climb to the finish.
"The team rode tactically very well and I think that was what the difference was," said Stevens at the finish. "They set me up perfectly for the win. The plan was I go for the sprint, Clara was in the break and I was saving, saving…
"I’ve been dreaming about this for a long time," she added. "It didn’t hurt at all because I knew I was going for the win at Flèche Wallonne."
Villumsen was the best of the rest in third place, ahead of Brand, while Hughes was caught by the chasing peloton in the way to the line, with South African champion Ashleigh Moolman (Lotto-Belisol) taking fifth.
The attacks began on the opening climb of the Côte de Peu d’Eau, after 39 km, as Valentina Scandolara (Italy) managed to open up a ten second lead. The Italian all-rounder was chased by Tiffany Cromwell (GreenEdge-AIS), but both were soon back in the peloton as it made its way down the descent.
Shortly after Scandolara and Cromwell were caught, Cromwell’s GreenEdge-AIS Amanda Spratt managed to get away alone. The Australian champion opened up a wide gap, which peaked at 2’40” over the top of the Côte de Groynne after 69.5km. The peloton gradually closed it down however, and, as Spratt hit the first ascent of the Mur, after 92km, she was caught. Most of the race’s contenders were close to the front as the much-reduced peloton crossed the finish line, with just the 31km finishing loop to ride.
On the false flat that followed the climb, Brand, Hughes and Villumsen escaped and, over third to last climb of the Côte d'Amay with just 15km to go, were 50 seconds clear; Rabobank sent Annemiek van Vleuten and Pauline Ferrand-Prevot to the front to bring them back.
At this point the race was ended for 2010 winner Emma Pooley (AA Drink-Leontien.nl). Already having been brought down twice in the race by separate incidents - and having had to change bikes to a broken rear derailleur the second time - the former British champion was taken down for a third time, breaking the rear derailleur of her spare bike.
To add insult to injury, Pooley’s bike was then run over by a motorcycle and, without a third bike [Pooley is just 1.57 metres tall, and rides Cervélo’s smallest size, so would have been unable to use a teammate’s machine - ed] one of the favourites for the race was forced to climb into her team car.
On the Côte de Villers-le-Bouillet, just nine kilometres left, Vos jumped away in pursuit herself. Stevens went with her and, with Canadian teammate Hughes up ahead, was able to sit on the Dutch champion’s wheel as they bridged across to the leaders; catching them with just seven kilometres to go.
Brand was the first to make a move as the five-strong group hit the Mur, but the Dutchwoman was soon overcome by a strong, steady surge from Stevens. Vos was glued to the American’s wheel, with Villumsen battling hard to stay in contact; Brand drifted backwards, while time triallist Hughes was dropped entirely.
On the steepest part of the climb, Vos attacked, which in previous years has meant ‘race over’ for the rest. As the Dutch champion fought her bike up the climb however, Stevens was defying precedent and hanging on.
As Vos reached the final hundred metres, where the gradient began to ease, Stevens put in another burst and gradually moved past. Vos was all over the front of her bike, but the four-time winner just couldn’t force any more speed out of her machine and Stevens began to pull away.
“In the run-up to the last climb of the Mur de Huy I had to work hard and then I started the sprint way too early.” Vos explained afterwards.
Stevens was clear as she hit the line, and punched the air in jubilation, while behind her an exhausted Vos was barely able to cross it as she slumped over her handlebars.
Click here for a report on the Men's Flèche Wallonne